Looking for answers to life's questions

Today is National Book Lover’s Day. I had it saved on my calendar from last year.Dr. French has a post this year on the subject and he was the one who alerted me to this great day last year. I am always ready to celebrate a book.

This has been hanging on my walls for 15 years through many moves

I have often threatened to show photographs of my small book collection. It’s a good thing that my shelves have been culled and many passed on. There is a box waiting at the back door to go to “The Friends of the Library” bookstore. They sell used books so the library can buy new offerings.

One side of the living room

I have loved books since I discovered them at about the age of 12 when my parents bought eight for my Christmas gift. I had four Donna Parker and four Trixie Belden books. I had four of the books read before they were even wrapped and placed under the tree. Somehow my mother was suspicious of my over enthusiastic reception at Christmas. I sat on top of the refrigerator and read when mom was away and I was babysitting. They were hiding in the cupboard over the fridge with our school paper. Silly mom.

I have replaced some ofthe original childhood books from that Christmas. When we moved, everything non-essential was left behind.

There was also a library on our base for the first time in my memory. Moving every six months to every couple of years left huge holes in my education so the library helped fill in the blanks. I started devouring books anytime I could get my hands on them which was not often enough.

the other end of the living room. I scrounge for book cases and space to put them.

My dream has always been to have a library in my own home, own a bookstore or at the very least work in one. I didn’t have the education to be a librarian but oh how I envied them.

In the den with the TV

My children are huge readers as well though only my son has kept enough to sink a battleship with the weight of them. My daughter reads as much but lets them go on so much easier. I’ve been a lending library for friends and family. My sister will often come and peruse my shelves looking for her next read.

At the end of the kitchen.

If you can read, you can do anything. I taught myself to cook, sew, quilt, paint, meditate, and how to be a better person in the world from reading. I learned to garden and craft from a book. Books have kept me company when I’m alone and let me share when I’m not.

I had to stop accumulating so many books as I was afraid the floors of my factory crafted manufactured home would not hold much more weight. I’ve always joked that the books, soft and hard cover are insulation against the weather and holding down the house so it won’t blow away. I will buy a book before I buy food in case I can’t do both. Books will always be a priority in my life. I need to learn something new every day and a book is a good place to do that.

Are you a book lover too? Do you have favorites or are they all friends?

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Comments on: "Book Lovers" (107)

I moved quite a few boxes of unread books into my apartment after my divorce. I think they filled 3 medium sized shelves. Now I am down to about 1/2 shelf left of unread. I buy all my books used and usually pass them on to some sort of thrift store or book donation drop box. Some have been winners, others I have passed on without really reading as I have found the contents to be less interesting than what the synopsis first described in reviews. I was a voracious reader as a child, but now go through ups and downs as far as interest in reading. Something really needs to catch my attention in the first chapter or two. If not, it’s hard for me to keep reading.

I moved 20 or 30 boxes in a 26 ft. moving truck across country. Many are reference books that won’t be donated until I am. 🙂 I think I have around 200 on writing alone and as many on spiritual growth, self help. When you’ve had no parenting, you have to learn how to be in the world somehow. I have donated as many as I still have and many were books that left me flat. I’ve always bought most new as I want to support writers the only way I can. But these days, my light reading is done on a tablet so I can make it large enough to see. I’m glad to hear you hare a big reader too. Books saved me as I am always the new kid on the block. Have a great weekend if you get one. Thanks for stopping by, Deb.

Wonderful collection! Trixie Belden were the first chapter books I read on my own, and I remember that my older sister read Donna Parker. I had to get rid of so much of my collection when I moved a few years ago, so kept the ones most important to me or just a few from each. Among them are Golden Books remembered from childhood, the “Claudia” series by Rose Franken, Trixie Belden, Dick and Jane readers, Peter Mayle’s Provence books, mysteries by Marcia Muller, too many Dell mystery map backs, a few signed books, plus a little of this and a little of that! Yes, I do love books. I would have to say, that while I’m enjoying a book, it does feel like a friend:)

Thank you for stopping by, Becky. Good to meet another book lover. I’ve been making up for what I missed in my childhood by reading everything I can get my hands on now. I bought so many books for my kids so we could read together. It’s hard to part with books but sometimes you have to do tough things. I let go of many before my move as well but the moving truck still struggled up the hills from the weight of what I did keep. You can still by Trixie Belden new and I found the Donna Parker books in an antique store. When I re-read them, I wondered at why I was so delighted with them. 🙂 Happy Book Lover’s Day.

I would happily scan your many shelves to see what is there – I love to see shelves of books. I no longer keep many of mine as you know, but once I had a whole room dedicated as a library and still had bookshelves throughout the house.. Downsizing changed all that. I quite like having my kindle nowadays, which stores loads of books and takes no space. I still like to learn from a book though, and recently bought two crochet mandala pattern books, two because I couldn’t choose between them! 🙂 I do have a love of audio books too, I listen while working in my art room especially. Though with audio books it’s important to have the right reader and that takes a bit of doing sometimes!

Happy Book Lovers Day, Pauline. I knew without a doubt you were a book lover. I promised myself last year I would do a post on it this year. It’s like book lovers unite! I’m downsizing as well. Have shipped off many boxes of books which is why there is room on my shelves. These days, due to vision restrains and the small print in so many books, I read mine on the tablet or do audible. If it’s a really good book, I’ll buy a hard copy and gift it. Want writers to continue writing books and they have to feed themselves. A lot of mine are sewing, painting or crafting books. There is a small fortune invested in them but they must be passed on to someone else My idea of heaven, if there were such a place would be walls and walls of books and nothing but time to read them. I’m 3/4 of the way through Geoff’s book and probably would have been close to done when my reading time was interrupted by a silly spider. 😉 It’s on the tablet too so I can see it. 😉 I even read books about bookstores of every kind. 🙂 No obsession here. Your crocheted mandala’s are so beautiful and someone has obviously written excellent instructions for them. Those are the kind of books you can’t get on audible or the tablet. Yet. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to celebrate with me. Hugs and love.

You and my daughter the book seller make a good pair! I tried Audible and couldn’t get it to work – I must have done something wrong, but have no clue what that might have been. I think a tablet is a good thing to have for many reasons! One day I shall investigate that for myself 🙂

I listen to audible on my tablet. It’s just an inexpensive one and it connects to my Amazon kindle account so Audible comes with it. My daughter has my original Kindle so we can share the books I buy. I’d be happy paired with anyone with access to books. 🙂 I wish I was closer so I could help you with it.

I was an avid reader as a kid, probably inherited the passion from my mother. Nowadays I have many books but I struggle to read them through – I seem to lack the ability to concentrate in this noisy and stressful world….
Lovely to read your post and see your collection, thanks for sharing!

Concentration is so much harder these days, I do agree. I do most of my reading in bed after I’ve done my journal and am totally relaxed. There are many books now where the print is too small so I will read a great deal on my tablet or audible but I still love a good solid book. Working my way through them. It’s like yarn or fabric, we have big eyes, then feel a bit overwhelmed. I’m making up for all the years books were not available to me so I feel no shame about having so many. I found out my mother had been an avid reader as a child as well but then life gets busy and we only have so many hours. Thank you for stopping by and Happy Book Lovers Day.

Your words couldn’t be more true!!
Some day I’ll go on a holiday where there are very little people and things going on, so I can sit or walk in peace and just be and let my mind wander at its own liking (including reading when I feel like) 🙂

What a wonderful tribute to our friends (books) who are always there for us! “Books have kept me company when I’m alone and let me share when I’m not.” Loved this line! I feel the same way, Marlene. I too have a hard time parting with my books. I loved taking a peek at your shelves!

Thank you so much, Jill. I wish I didn’t shake so much when photographing. It’s impossible to read the titles that way. One shelf is all Chicken Soup books. I always read one story a night before sleep. I have given away SO many already. Reading as fast as I can. 😉 Happy Book Lovers Day, Jill.

Next time I’m at the library I’ll have to take a peek at those childhood books you loved so much! I’m not familiar with them. I too have a few books from my childhood. Rescued them before my dad “got rid of them”. My love of reading was instilled by my mother, who was an avid reader then, and is to this day. When I visited her apartment in Germany a few years ago I browsed her bookshelves. She has good taste in books. I did sort through and give a lot of books to the library. I enjoy buying their bargain books, so I figure others do as well.
Happy reading Marlene! 📚 Books open up so many windows to the world!

Happy Book Lovers Day to you as well, Sabine. I know you are a book lover without question. You won’t find any of my old books in the library. Maybe an antique store. 😉 I’m just hoping to finish reading what I have here before thinking about any more. I loved reading as it was a good place to hide. I loved reading happy stories about happy lives. Turned out my mother had been a voracious reader as a child as well. She sure didn’t when we were growing up but who had time with a houseful of kids and every free moment sewing their clothes. We have it so much easier now. Have a good weekend .

It’s any how the books we read as children stick with us. I loved the Little House on the Prairie books and a book called Bertram and His Funny Animals–I finally found a new copy a few years ago. And A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was a pivotal book for me as a teenager. I love seeing your bookshelves so full and beckoning!

It’s my idea of what heaven would look like. Books everywhere. Those were great books from your childhood. They do stick with us like nothing else. I love looking at peoples bookshelves. You can tell so much about a person by their books. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Kerry.

How lovely to see your library of books, and not just the books but all the little items and toys which sit with the books. Your love of, and devotion to, books shines through all these images. When I read your words I begin to think there should be more awards for passionate readers; prizes for being book lovers every day.;) I love the story in your first photo.

Thank you for visiting my little library. 🙂 My sister calls it clutter but everything is sentimental to me. Books have saved my life and given me a life. Those people that spend so much time writing them to educate and entertain us should be rewarded. I owe it to support them. The poster is a Mary Englebreit work and I enjoy all her work. Hope you had a happy book lovers day. 😉

I reckon I have about as many as you in this house, and that’s after pruning the collection every single time I have moved house, and particularly when I emigrated to Australia… And of course, the shelves don’t show the hundreds of books I have on my Kindle!

I would so love to see your library of books. That’s the one thing keeping me from leaving the country is having to leave the books behind. I left all the furniture other than my bed but the books had to come along. I’m so grateful for the Kindle. It’s kept the books from going through the floor.;) I knew you were a book lover too. Hope you had a happy book lovers day. 🙂

You and my husband would get along just great! While I enjoy reading, he absolutely devours books. We have a pretty full bookcase in the office, and other books tucked here and there. I’m trying to convince him that the library is his friend! 😁 Have a great weekend, Marlene!

Libraries work well for some and at different times of life. I have spent many hours in libraries and love them. I spend more time these days with audible. Different phases of life, different needs. The reader makes it easier to not accumulate so many books. I can read so many for free on the reader which helps a lot. I knew you were a reader and suspected your other half was as well. Thanks for stopping by, Missy.

Dear Marlene your love of Books matches my own.. I have book shelves galore… And when you mentioned the Chicken Soup book you were reading on your other post I smiled wide.. As I also have the Chicken Soup collection.. Love their short stories to read.. Often with tissue in hand..
Loved that poster picture image … May we continue to fall into books.. ❤
I am re-reading some of my earlier spiritual books of Silver Birch.. with a new eye.. 😀 And one I recently read again Atlantis Rising by Patricia Cori. 🙂

Loved that you are donating your books to be recycled to help others…
Love and HUGS ❤
Enjoy your weekend Marlene.. and take care. ❤

Oh my you even have more books than me. I too love books, and wish I had a home library . But I do volunteer in a library and I love it.
The first book I loved was a present from my parents, I think I was 7 or 8- The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, and I still have it.
Loved seeing your bookcases and wish I could puruse them myself.

How lovely you still have your childhood book! I love looking at other’s bookcases. I had a friend tell me I could hang a quilt there if I got rid of the books. I just laughed. I like my quilts, love my books. 😉 Thanks for stopping by, Cathy.

Oh, I Love this post, Marlene! And your wonderful book shelves! I’ve got a feeling I would like it very much at your place with all those lovely books and your various other projects. ☺
And YES! I’m a huge book lover! They’re my special friends and like you I would always go for the book of I had to choose. 😄📚

Yes, I’m a book lover! But when we moved to FL and into a smaller home, we donated lots of them. And once here I circulate (to our condo library) all my thrillers and other light read, and have a smaller collection of art, travel, meditation, wildlife, nature and photography books etc. New books for quick reading now come on my Kindle. Great post Marlene, love your book collection and how you are your own librarian now.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I have done much the same thing. I donate so many and most light reading comes on my Kindle too. I’m finally past the stage where I buy the same book twice as I started a spread sheet on Excel. 😉 I do a lot more Audible these days also. No one in my neighborhood seem to be readers. Like you, my book genres are very eclectic. Although, you will find almost no cookbooks. 🙂 Of course, I spend a lot of time here reading blogs too. 😉

Marlene!! This is simply wonderful. I loved every word of this post, your life of books and your heart. The photos speak volumes (pun intended). Thank you so much for sharing your love of books and your life of books. ❤️

Thank you so much, Jennie. I was making up for lost time. We had so little of anything when I was growing up and when I found books, they saved me and made my world so sweet. Love the pun. 😉 Dr. French was the person who introduced me to Book Lovers Day and I will honor it every year.:)

You are welcome, Marlene. I think it is never too late to find books. I didn’t really find them till I had children. Like you, when that happened I never looked back. And Dr. French is one of my favorite bloggers. His Book Lover’s Day is important. Best to you, Marlene.

I could have written this post myself. When I moved into my tiny new appartment after living in a family home while th echildren grew, it was my clothes and kitchen that were ‘pruned’ to ake them fit into the reduced space…not the books.

That tickles me to hear we are kindred in our priorities. I have pruned books often but the amount of them continues to grow. I wanted to stop in the bookstore on Saturday while walking the mall with my daughter. She commented that we are not allowed in unsupervised. It’s a dangerous place for myself and my adult children but we all want to support those wonderful writers. Thank you for stopping by, Sue.

Marlene this is a wonderful post about the role of books in your life. I love how you read and learned to do so many things. Books opened up new worlds for me when I was young and feeling trapped in my country village.

Thank you so much, Cynthia. Interesting that you were trapped in a country village while I was a gypsy of the world and books helped us both. 🙂 They bring us together on a common ground. 🙂 I appreciate the visit.

What a beautiful home you have, filled with lovely books throughout…my shelves hold a few precious books and the rest wander through my world via our local library…Dr. French will be pleased to know that I was gifted all five volumes of Mary Stewart’s Arthurian saga, they are waiting for me to fall into when autumn rolls around!

Marlene, I could have written this same exact post, if not word for word, very closely related. I lived in five homes before I was seven, my father was a pastor and in the denomination he was ordained in no one stayed very long in one place. I have books everywhere. I get most of mine at yard sales and book sales. I keep them in a china hutch that belonged to my grandmother…she also was an avid reader. She had the complete set of Grace Livingston Hill and many other classics. I also have learned many things from reading. God is good and I have loved books all my life. I enjoy revisiting the books of my youth. I’m once again listening to the Swiss Family Robinson on Youtubes Free Audiobooks. Thanks for bringing a smile to my face on this Wednesday morning.

I’m delighted to meet another book lover. This is my 35th address and it will be my last. I often say that if there are no books in Heaven, then I’m not going. I’m sure there are. I don’t buy too many anymore. Hoping to read all I’ve acquired so far. Audible is the best thing for those of us who find books a bit more difficult to see as we age. I’ll check out the YouTube audio books. Thank you for stopping by..

I do love me some books! I worked at a bookstore in college and loved it. I started collecting books galore and kept so many from college and all the courses I took, too. Those represent the money, time, and learning that I did. Hehe.
However, I am “unattaching” myself from my books these days. We’ve moved across the country a couple times and moving boxes and boxes and boxes of books is no fun after awhile, lol.
So I went and did something kind of radical for a book lover: I have been going through my boxes of books and getting rid of the ones that I won’t read again, ones that are irrelevant to me now, ones that I can easily get at the library, and some old textbooks. I’m keeping ones that are special to me, that I will reference again and again, as well as a few classics and other books that have some sentimental value. It’s a process. I started doing that a few years ago and slowly culling them. I love, love them. And I love the aroma of a bookstore which is, incidentally, distinct from the aroma of a library. hehe. I don’t know if other people notice that, but I do.
In any case, you have lots of beautiful, wonderful books and I’m so glad to know a fellow book lover!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Cynthia. I was pretty certain you were a book lover too. Paring down and sharing is the difference between a book lover and a book hoarder. I’ve done the same thing and am continuing to do so. It’s painful in a way but I don’t want to leave it for my children to deal with later. I pared down before my move from Az to OR and have continued to do so all these years. Can’t keep bringing them in if you don’t get rid of any you will never read again. I love spending hours in a bookstore and have a date scheduled for R&R in one for the entire day. Have to keep them in business which is why I always buy my books new. I want to support authors. I do read a lot on Kindle these days as my vision is low and I can make the print large. Also use audible quite a bit to listen while I work. 😉 I’m so far behind on everything I want to get done that I must multitask these days. Which reminds me to start the laundry now. 😉 Have a wonderfilled week ahead, Cynthia. Hugs.

How wonderful to know that National Book Lover’s Day is the same day as my darling Dad’s birthday. He would have been 86 this year, bless him. Who needs education to be a librarian when you now have your very own lending library? I love your beloved collection, Marlene. Is the framed print a Mary Englebriet? I love her art! Like you, I’ve taught myself many things from books. Happy lending and reading, my friend 🙂 xxx

Good to hear from you, Sherri. 🙂 We never stop missing our special people. They stay in our hearts forever.
I do love my library and would make it larger but my floors have limited capacity.
Yes, that is a Mary Englebreit poster. I have a great deal of her work but not actual art pieces. 😉 They would be expensive. Cards, Calendars, fabric even and my notebook that holds my morning pages. She’s so inspiring. Glad you like it too. have a wonderfilled week, Sherri and thanks for stopping by.

Very true Marlene 🙂 I thought it was Mary Englebreit, recognising her style immediately! Same here, I have a couple of her notebooks and various cards and a friendship plaque in my kitchen, from America 🙂 Thank you Marlene, and you too. Hugs xoxo

I plead guilty of having a mini library in my house, too. But again, I have culled them back over the years, especially since I found another book exchange that hasn’t yet closed down. For every four books I take in, I get a new free book (usually). I reduce and recycle at the same time. I would have loved to work in a bookstore/library. I volunteered in one for a time. That was fun. Your collection is amazing! It looks great! You could open a drop in coffee and book centre soon!

I would certainly open a drop in coffee and book center. I don’t have many novels on my shelves. Those are mostly on the e-reader or audible. A lot of my books are reference types that I go back to again and again. Also a shelf of my old journals. 😉 A friend loaned me a book I had listened to and I let my daughter read it before returning it. She couldn’t put it down and is waiting for the next book in the series by Swedish author Fredrik Backman. They do make the rounds here. I’m a very eclectic reader. 😉 Just have a hard time parting with them.

It is certainly vety hard to post with a much loved book, be that a fictional tale or non fiction. Pethaps we Can look at it as a journey, with thr book traveling to a new place. There is a thing called book crossing where you leave a book in the ‘wild’ – such as a bus seat or shopping centre with a tag attached saying, “I am not lost, you just found me, read me and then release me somewhere. ” yo then register the books details one the Bookcrossing website, and you can track the books progress/movements. I have also used Bookmooch. People list books they would like to read and if you have one you can send it to them, and can choose whether to restrict mailings of books to domestic mailings only, not overseas so it doesn’t cost the earth to participate.

I love those ideas. Will bookmark those websites and see what I find out. 🙂 I have so many I want to read while I can that I hate to even look at more but there are so many wonderful books and authors out there. I need to do more writing but am having a stuck moment because something needs to be said and I’m not sure how to say it. I’ve written it so many different ways and it just isn’t right yet. Maybe after my company leaves, I’ll get my brain working again. 😉 Thanks for sharing the ideas. 🙂

To be quite frank, I didn’t notice the spelling errors. I read what my brain expects to see. 🙂 Thanks again for the links. I’ll probably be out of touch this week as I have company coming for 10 days starting tomorrow. 🙂

I’m a little behind and have had a rough week. Also have company coming for 10 days. I love seeing everyone but I tend to run out of steam quickly and have a lot of anxiety. I read your post and want to listen to the video tonight. Love Gregg Braden. Have several of his books. I’ll send a note asap. Take care of yourself too.

Dear Marlene.. sorry to hear you have had a bit of a rough week my friend.. While company often means extra work.. I know it will lift your spirits.. Yes I think our bookshelves hold many of the same authors Marlene.. And no worries about sending a note.. I just dropped by as I hadn’t seen you and just wanted to know you are well.. So take care of yourself.. That is the most important thing for any of us to do.. Much love returned xx ❤

Well yes you do, you have a few books. You might be right to worry about the floor crashing in, LOL
I’m not a collector of books but I do have a number of art books and sewing books. None are dear and mostly purchased cheap for the one or two projects in them that caught my eye. I just removed over 50 magezines from various corners and shelves from my home and carted them off to Goodwill. I keep very few. I’m not the type to read fictional works more than once and I rarely by much else. We have a number of ‘Little Free Library’s’ in the area. I’ve tucked a few read books in there too. I will say, the books I’ve left there are a lot more current than the other ones in there, so I’m sure they don’t last long.
I generally read on holiday, when there’s very little else to distract me once back in the hotel. I read half a novel just flying to Australia 😀 I’m what you call, “a captive audience reader” . Everything else has to be taken away and out of reach, LOL xo K

Good morning, sweet soul that you are. We are all so different about out books and collections. I’m moving more out all the time. Novels are mostly on the e-reader and not that many. The rest are sewing, painting and quilting books or writing and reference. Too many hobbies. 😦 I love having something for guests to read. You learn a lot about people by the books they choose. I stopped buying magazines 7 years ago. Mostly. The art magazines still suck me in sometimes but I’m more resistant these days. I have enough ideas, need to implement them more. 🙂 I have never seen a little free library anywhere around here and I’m not allowed to put one up. I’ll get a lot of a book finished in the 5 hours it takes to get to the beach and back this week as I hide in the back seat with my head down. 😉 Not a good passenger. Once I’m there and settled, I turn to my hand embroidery to keep busy at night or read the e-reader. It makes the print so nice and large. I will always be a book lover and support writers in the world though. Always looking for a well crafted story. 🙂 Love and hugs to you my sweet friend. M

Love this. I am just about ready to move and most of my boxes contain books and I have culled my shelves twice in the last six months. I have a hard time letting go of books. I have favourites – Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter and a bunch of other books that celebrate people who love books, but I love them all.

Thank you for stopping by, Lisa. I’m going to have to cull my shelves once again and I know how hard it is. I can let go of clothes and furniture easier than books. Best of luck with the move and I hope you don’t have to let go of too many precious books.

Your house is beautiful and I love the bookshelves. I wish we lived closer as I would love to find my next book with your advice! I love books. I moved towards a kindle years ago in order to have all my favorites in one place. I miss the feel of a paper book, but I love the convenience of a kindle. Makes it easy to travel and I did a lot of traveling for awhile. Great post Marlene! xo

Thanks for stopping by, Yvonne. I have books from most genres but have found that I like novels or easy reading on the kindle and non-fiction in hard copy so I can reference things. My Chicken Soup books have lots of little colored tabs in them as well. I don’t like them on kindle but my son gave me a couple for my birthday. So I read them there. I’m trying to not buy anymore and read what’s already on my shelves waiting. You would be quite surprised to see what’s there. 😉 I think I loaded several hundred pounds of books into the floor of my Suburban when taking an extended trip to see my sister. I ended up buying more while I was there. ;( I’d bet I have something here you would love. 🙂

I am sure you would have many somethings I would love to read! I love all types of books except those with horror that is scary, but then that’s how I like my tv shows/documentaries/movies. If there’s some crazy Halloween gory movie, count me out. I don’t like to be scared that way. And yet, documentaries about people and how life/mind changes them interests me. 🙂 Give me a good Chicken Soup book and I’m happy! I like uplifting spiritual books too!

I haven’t written a post in a month but I’m bogged down with other things right now. I found that if I read enough blogs, something inspired me enough to write about it. I can think of a dozen subjects but just need the energy to pull it all together. Maybe this week. 😉 I’m on 7 years and sometimes my brain thinks I have nothing left to say.

Oh my! And I thought I had a lot of books! Ha, ha. 😉 I have been thinking about getting rid of some of our big furniture and getting more bookshelves! I love yours! I buy used books, trade some in, and donate to and buy from our library’s bookstore, too. Amazon has become a wonderful friend to me as well!
Thanks for sharing this Marlene!

Ha, another fellow cohort. We know each other well. My daughter laughed yesterday and said you could tell she was my daughter as her books are the first thing she brought over as she is moving in with me. We have our priorities. I do the same as you with books. Paring gown again since I need more people room. 😦